


Sentimental Journey

by StarsAndSkies (LittleMissWrath)



Series: In Another Life [1]
Category: Far Cry (Video Games), Far Cry 5
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Detectives, Alternate Universe - Noir, Detective Noir, Developing Relationship, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Murder Mystery, Pre-Relationship, Tumblr Prompt, Undercover
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-29
Updated: 2019-11-29
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:06:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21607267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleMissWrath/pseuds/StarsAndSkies
Summary: “You got a quick tongue, didn’t you?” Jacob laughed, then glanced over her shoulder. “Tell me one thing, sweetheart; how well do you know Staci Pratt?”
Relationships: Deputy | Judge/Jacob Seed, Female Deputy | Judge/Jacob Seed, Jacob Seed/Original Female Character(s)
Series: In Another Life [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1587859
Comments: 10
Kudos: 54





	Sentimental Journey

**Author's Note:**

> Based on a request I got on Tumblr.  
>  _"I don't know enough about far cry to pick a pairing, but maybe Noir Detective AU setting for that ask prompt post? If you like."_
> 
> Dawn is my Deputy and you can find more about her (and my other OCs) [here](https://starsandskies.tumblr.com/oc2).  
> Becca Paxton and Sam Seed belong to NaroMoreau.
> 
> English is not my native language so you'll probably find some grammatical mistakes. I'm sorry!

That freezing and foggy November night was a turning point for Detective Dawn Wilson and for everything she believed so far. 

It wasn’t only the crime scene itself, or nausea rising in her throat as soon as she set foot in that stinking apartment in the slums, not even those lifeless eyes staring at her from a pool of fresh blood as if they blamed her for being too slow; for being too goddamn late.

Not at all. 

It was the realization that no matter what they did, no matter how close they got, that family was always one step ahead of them—of her. 

The Seeds. 

A quick glance around was enough to notice the work of Eden’s Gate; Dawn could’ve said it even with her eyes closed. Their signature—John Seed’s signature—was everywhere, from those angry letters carved on that man’s skin to the Book of Joseph placed between the corpse’s hands. Cause of death? One shot in the temple. At close range. Same caliber as always. Probably, the same gun too.

“That goddamn John Seed,” Staci grumbled, his brows knitted together. “I just wanna go find him—”

“Easy there, partner,” she interrupted him by placing a hand on his forearm. Dawn might be a newcomer or a rookie as Staci called her, but she had already learned that he was as impulsive and reckless as herself. “We need to go by the book here, Staci, you know it. So c’mon, calm down, and let’s get our job done.”

At first sight, everything fit. And still, something was off. It was filthy. Gross. Messy. Chaotic. Different from what they were used to. It could just be a hunch, sure, but Dawn’s gut was telling her—was yelling at her that she should look better—make sure they didn’t go for the wrong people.

That crime scene chased her for days, keeping her awake at night and anxious all day long as she reviewed everything they got over and over again. At some point, Dawn realized they still hadn’t met her; the Seeds had no idea how she looked. So, she figured that going undercover—getting a job in one of their clubs was their best chance to get closer to the family. Her priority was to gather all the info they needed to build a case solid enough to put them behind bars for as many years as possible. 

Life in jail was nothing compared to the death she thought they deserved.

Dawn used to joke about how lucky she was that the Lord had given her the talent for music and dancing. Singing was not her thing, but she could handle it. So, becoming their new employee hadn’t been too hard, and in less than a week, she was ready to debut at The Garden Lounge, one of Seeds’ most selected and exclusive night clubs.

Convincing Staci—who was already playing dirty cop—that it was a good idea had been a whole other, though. Dawn had needed more than a few drinks—not to talk about all the sweet nothings and empty promises she had whispered in his ear—to get him to cooperate. He had introduced her—to John Seed himself—as “the right-hand lady you need to have working for you,” showing off her many and sometimes questionable skills.

Somehow, it had worked.

So there she was, on the verge of a panic attack when she finally went on stage, almost tripping over her own feet. God. At least nobody seemed to pay attention to nothing than her champagne dress, so she approached the microphone, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath just before the band started playing. 

Song after song, she got carried away by those intoxicating jazz melodies running through her veins, the scent of tobacco and booze, and the somehow oppressive atmosphere of a crowd dancing, drinking, gambling, or whatever they were doing at the back of the club. 

There was no sign of John or Faith Seed, though. Joseph? Unlikely. The Father had a family; a pregnant wife—Sam Seed—and a little daughter. It was no place for a man like him. Not if he wanted to keep his status quo, his consolidate reputation as a respected preacher not only in his community but also throughout the County. While the Heralds took care of the family business, Joseph would never make an appearance. Not in a place like that. The Father liked to be in the spotlight but without getting his hands dirty unless necessary. 

Lost in her own thoughts, Dawn didn’t notice the man sitting alone not too far from the bar counter. The dim lights of the club darkened his face, almost hiding his features, but she didn’t need to get closer to guess the color of his eyes—she knew it. 

Her voice faltered when she met his ice-blue gaze. A red-haired man—a mountain of a man—wearing a dark grey three-piece pinstripe suit with a partially unbuttoned white shirt, its sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Burns and scars covered part of the skin of his arms, cheeks, and neck, and as far as she could see, of his chest too. 

It couldn’t be other than Jacob Seed. 

He was indeed a fine specimen, so to speak, handsome, attractive, though not the most beautiful man she had ever met. Still, there was something about him, about his bright gaze, his sly smirk, or his demeanor that made her unable to keep her eyes off him.

His jacket was on the back of a chair right next to him, neatly folded, along with his hat. On the tabletop, a packet of Marlboro Red, a glass of bourbon, and a half-empty bottle. A lit cigarette hung from his long fingers as he tapped his right foot to the music, sipping his drink from time to time, his stare so intense that nearly froze her. 

All were rumors and terrifying stories about him, but from the stage and despite his harsh appearance, he seemed no different than any of the other men in the club. Except for his beard and his hairstyle. For what it seemed, a Seed brothers’ personal trademark.

Dawn gave him a coy smile before turning around, breaking eye contact as she slowly swayed her hips and waved her arms above her head—for him. She was trying to lure Jacob into her game, and even though she wasn’t even sure if it would work, she was enjoying it so far. 

After one last song, she sat at the bar counter, quite satisfied with her performance. She should start mingling, talking to people, trying to become a familiar face, but the only thing she had in mind was Jacob Seed. However, he was still sitting at his table without losing a single detail of any of her movements.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him getting up at last, before walking towards her with a determined step, his lips curled into a smug grin.

“What’s gonna be, sweetheart?”

“Mr. Seed.” Dawn greeted him as she crossed her legs, reaching out to take the cigarette he was smoking from between his fingers. Bold move. Stupid, too, but he did nothing to stop her, so she winked at him and added, “surprise me.”

“Jacob,” he replied, leaning on the bar counter before taking his cigarette back. “Mr. Seed was my ol’ man, and I got nothing to do with him.” Despite spitting those words as bitter bile, Jacob's demeanor didn't change, and after a kind of weird silence, he snapped his fingers to catch the waitress' attention. "Becca, honey, a Manhattan for our new girl here. Bourbon for me." He gazed at Dawn before adding, "she's fantastic, isn't she?" 

The blonde waitress nodded at Jacob without establishing visual contact with him but giving Dawn a knowing smile as she started working in getting their drinks ready. She had met Becca before the show, when she had run into her and one of the delivery guys—Sharky, maybe—sharing a passionate kiss in the dressing rooms. 

“Dawn, _Jacob_.” Dawn tasted his name in her mouth, letting it linger on her tongue before taking a sip of her freshly served cocktail, her eyes never leaving his; his never leaving hers. Dawn’s cheeks flushed red when she pointed out, “my name is Dawn, not _the new girl_.”

The guy seemed a little rough around the edges, tough, and intimidating among many other things, but not that mindless thug people used to picture. His smart, somehow curious gaze gave him away, and Dawn found herself intrigued—perhaps too much—by him, eager to know him better against all common sense.

“Sure thing, sweetheart,” he chuckled, running the tip of his index finger around the rim of his glass. “May I ask you something, _Dawn_?” She tilted her head, struggling to hide her amusement at the exaggerated emphasis on her name. “What’s such a little thing like you doing in a place like this? Too far north for a Southern belle.”

“Oh, honey,” Dawn snorted. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m not the only one who’s also too far north from home, am I?” 

If her answer surprised him, he didn’t show it. He just quirked a brow at her statement, taking one last drag before throwing the cigarette butt on the floor, a lopsided smile creeping onto his bearded face. 

“You got a quick tongue, didn’t you?” Jacob laughed, then glanced over her shoulder. “Tell me one thing; how well do you know Staci Pratt?”

_Fuck._

Dawn didn’t even need to turn around to picture her partner, shifting uncomfortably on his seat as he tried not to look at them. She felt her heart freeze in her chest, her stomach churning at the prospect of Jacob finding out who she was. Yet, she managed to answer in a flat tone, “not much. Why?” 

Jacob’s rested his right hand on the backrest of her stool, the left one on the bar counter. He cocked his head to the side, and leaning forward, he whispered in her ear, “he’s a cop. Did you know that?”

Everyone was staring at them, and Dawn was fully aware of what that supposed intimacy between them looked like, but she didn’t care at all. First, because she was walking on the razor’s edge, and second, because her immediate goal was to worry about not spoiling her cover on her first night instead of keeping wondering how it would feel to be in his strong arms.

As if there was an invisible force pulling her towards him, she inched closer until her lips grazed his cheek when she mumbled, “yep. He’s helping me to handle some of my… affairs. He also introduced me to Mr. Seed—John, and got me a job here.” Dawn breathed into Jacob’s scent, trying to ignore her pulse thumping in her ears as she pondered her next words. “Am I… in trouble, boss?”

“You? Not at all, darlin’. You need no manager or whatever he’s supposed to be to work here, though. Especially not a dirty cop. Also—” Jacob’s right hand moved from the back of her stool to her waist, the warmth of his palm causing a shiver to run down her spine. “Technically, John is your boss, not me.”

“Noted,” she purred, her gaze darting from his light blue eyes to his too-damn-close mouth and back again. 

“Do me a favor, doll.” Jacob lowered his voice, and Dawn frowned, struggling to hear him above the band that was already back on stage. “Don’t trust Pratt.” 

Something tightened inside of her at Jacob’s words, his supposed advice making her breath catch in her throat. “I won’t,” she replied without thinking, then turned her head to peek at Staci as she sipped her Manhattan thoughtfully. Their gazes met, but Dawn couldn’t read the expression on his partner’s face. After all, he hadn’t lied to Jacob; she didn’t know him that well.

But she didn’t know Jacob either. 

“Another drink, peach?” Jacob’s voice snapped her out of her reverie. His right hand still rested on her waist, his thumb brushing soothing circles into her flesh.

As tempting as it sounded, going home was definitely wiser. Dawn didn’t expect to meet him on her first night. She wasn’t ready to deal with him or her unexpected attraction to him either. “I—uh—no, thanks. It’s late—I should be going.”

“I’ve got a car outside,” he pointed out, flashing her a small smile that didn’t reach his eyes. Dawn could swear he looked disappointed, but before she could even change her mind, Jacob added, “I’ll take you home.”

 _Shit_.

“Actually, Staci is going to—”

“Listen, darlin’; that gun in your garter holster—” His fingers fumbled with the skirt of her dress, casually stroking her thigh first, then the grip of her Colt Detective Special. “Well, I’m sure you know how to defend yourself, but how long would it take you to pull it out from under your dress? We’re a huge family, Dawnie,” he explained as his grip tightened, a warning in his tone. “And we take care of each other. The sooner you get it, the better. C’mon, sweetheart, we’re leaving.” 

_Son of a bitch._

Dawn left her empty drink on the counter, then put his hand on top of Jacob’s, watching his reaction to her touch. The only thing she could do was to play along, so when he didn’t pull away, she grinned at him and nodding at the club’s exit, she said, “okay, Jacob Seed; drive me home.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you've got here... thank you for reading! ♥ You can also find me on Tumblr as [StarsAndSkies](https://starsandskies.tumblr.com/).  
> I've been thinking about turning this into a series or a multi-chapter fic so let me know what do you think!


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